Ridley Scott is arguably one of the most influential and revered directors of the past few decades. With a diverse filmography under his belt, Scott has most directly been a major player within the realm of science fiction, having both Alien and Blade Runner under his belt.

However, despite much anticipation prior to its release, Prometheus - the 2012 pseudo-prequel to Alien - proved a divisive addition to his genre work. Now Scott is gearing up for the sequel (as well as the long-rumored Blade Runner follow-up), and it sounds like the former is coming closer to starting production.

In an interview with The Australian (via Scified), Scott confirmed that the Prometheus 2 script is finished. The filmmaker didn't offer any details as far as when the film will hit theaters, but he did discuss the alien species fans can expect. The filmmaker teased that this new approach would be "getting away from gods and dragons" ("gods" referring to the Engineers, "dragons" referring to the Xenomorphs, it would seem).

Here's what else Scott had to say:

"[The original Alien was] the definitive dragon and he’s a mother. The alien’s real which is why it’s probably one of the scariest monsters in film history. So with Prometheus 2, what I’m trying to do is reintroduce a fresher form of alien in the third act.”

Scott's words confirm previous reports that the Alien franchise's signature xenomorphs won't appear in the film, despite the filmmaker's admission that the creature featured in the final moments of Prometheus bears a strong resemblance to that classic villain. His comment about steering clear of "gods and dragons" does seem to contradict both the predictions of star Noomi Rapace as well as the religious and philosophical themes at the heart of the first film.

One also has to wonder if such a "fresh" direction is a wise way to go with the sequel, considering that a large part of the appeal of Prometheus was based on its perceived ties to the Alien franchise. Scott seems intent on leaving that part of the story behind and forging ahead with the characters established in the first film. It'll be interesting to see if fans come out in droves for the sequel after its predecessor's mixed reception (and the promise of a xenomorph-free experience).

At this early stage, there's no telling what Prometheus 2 will bring, but it's never too soon to start speculating. What do you think Scott has in mind for the sequel, Screen Ranters? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Prometheus 2 has not yet received an official release date. Stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates.